Opinion | Vijay Gets Math Right, But Trust Deficit Can Be His Government's Achilles' Heel |
Opinion | Vijay Gets Math Right, But Trust Deficit Can Be His Government's Achilles' Heel
Updated: May 09, 2026 20:33 pm IST Published On May 09, 2026 19:16 pm IST Last Updated On May 09, 2026 20:33 pm IST
Published On May 09, 2026 19:16 pm IST
Last Updated On May 09, 2026 20:33 pm IST
Actor-turned-politician Vijay has moved closer to achieving his goal - becoming the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Yes, you can hear a collective sigh of relief among supporters of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) all over the state.
After twists and turns that would put a Kollywood potboiler to shame, TVK chief Vijay can finally show the 120 MLAs-elect in his support to Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Arlekar. The extension of support by the VCK and a change of heart by the IUML helped Vijay cross the finish line after much huffing and puffing.
On Friday evening, Vijay's request for an invite to be sworn in as chief minister had been turned down because his numbers were two short of the majority mark of 118. That is because the VCK had postponed its decision to Saturday, while the IUML refused to extend support. Meanwhile, the AMMK accused the TVK of forging the signature of its lone MLA from Mannargudi to make it seem he was extending support. That is an allegation that could still queer the pitch for the TVK. Vijay would do well to keep his fingers crossed and his legal arguments ready.
But through Friday night and early hours of Saturday, one man - Thol Thirumavalavan of the VCK - kept the TVK waiting. The inordinate delay led to speculation that some hard bargaining was taking place behind closed doors, even though the VCK denied any demands were made and said it was because one of its two MLAs was not in Chennai. Its letter of support said ''unconditional support'' but........